A Twist in Her Marching Band Story
by nickjonasandmusic
Summary: Leala and her two best friends are marching band freshmen. But will everything stay the same once the season is over? Rated T for cussing and romance stuff. Based on a true marching band story, but not the same also. A story that can make you laugh & cry!
1. June Camp

**Chapter One**

***Leala's POV***

"Oh my gosh, I cannot believe that we're finally in HIGH SCHOOL!!!" my best friend Meg squeals as we walk into Castle High School, home to the knights. But it isn't school time yet. It's the middle of June. Why are we here in the middle of summer, you ask? Well, we're in guard/marching band. "Yeah, I can't believe it either. I think we get to meet the upperclassmen today! I still can't believe you didn't do trombone, but prissy guard," I reply back and duck her gib slap.

"Watch it. Don't EVER say that to the guard. EVER. You'll see they aren't prissy. More like armed beat-your-ass chicks," Meg hisses at me, fuming with anger. But I know how to calm her down. "Chocolate chica?" I ask her with a baggie of brownies in my hand. Her face goes like a puppy, whimpering. Reluntantly I give her a "treat" to calm her down. "Isn't that Roslyn over there? Hey Rae!" I chirp at my flute friend Roslyn, calling her nickname. "Hey Lae!" she calls back.

"Do you know where the band hall is?" I ask Rosyln.

"Yeah, I was just there! What's in your hands?" she replies.

"Brownie bag."

Can I have some? PLEASE?"

"Fine. But you aren't getting anymore today. Either one of you," I tell my girl friends as we walk side by side into the band hall.

Just in front of me is this sign that says Rehersal A, and the entire marching band is in it. _Holy shit, that's a lot of band people,_ I think to myself.

As we walk in we're greeted by the band directors and what looks like are the college students who will be teaching each section. I find all my other freshman friends huddled together, terrified but excited. I ask cheerfully, "What's up guys?"

"The ceiling!" "Your mom!" "Nothing much." "Life." "The sky, gas prices?" I hear said from some of them. I try to find my best guy friends, Edwin and Dante, but most people call them Ed and Dan. We make up the Tres Amigos and we've been friends for about a year collectively. I finally find them playing this weird game, where they're slashing at each other. "Hey guys!" I say enthusiastically. "What are you doing?"

"Playing Ninja!" They say at the same time. Dan slaps Ed's hand and shouts "I win this game!" Before I can even ask how to play, almost everyone in Rehersal A shouts back "Damn, we LOSE!!!!" The upperclassmen glare at Dan and he hides behind me. I laugh because out of the 3 of us 1) I'm the oldest 2) I have the most self-control/maturity 3) I'm the tallest and 4) from the Tres Amigos I'm the only girl but can act like a guy sometimes. Go figure!

"C'mon Lae-Lae! Try and beat me!" Ed teases me with my nickname as he shows me how to play Ninja!, and I do end up beating him. "I win, Jay-Jay!" I tease back at him as I take the winning move and slap his hand, showing I won. "It's so strange that you made up that name for me on your own, yet my family calls me that at home at the same time. Weird!" Ed tells me. Just then, Dan runs up to me and says breathlessly, "We have to go to our sections now guys. Leala, we have to go get our rentals, remember? He grabs my hand and leads me to the storage room, where I see the senior section leaders trying to help the freshmen get the rentals they need; mostly baritones, mellophones, tubas, and a few saxophones. The alto senior, Melody, looks at our interlocked hands and asks, "Are you two dating?" Dante and I release each others' hands and say simutaneously, "No." The seniors laugh then the mellophone seniors grab Dan and show him how to properly play mello opposed to French horn, and the reason why most brass players use gloves. Melody and the drum major who also plays saxophone, Ike, hook me up with a decent tenor saxophone. We hear over the intercom, "All upperclassmen please go outside for a refresher block. All marching freshman stay in A, while guard go to the Blue Room, drumline to Theory and pit to B."


	2. June Camp and a Thoughtful Past

**Chapter Two**

* * *

***Dante's POV***

"Remember, keep your elbows up and make a triangle with your arms," Camilla, a sophomore mellophone tells me as she puts my horn up even higher. Even though the rest of the freshmen and myself are all in A, inside, we're dripping in sweat because we aren't used to all of these horn lifts. My arms feel like they're on fire, yet I know they're trying to strengthen us. The band college volunteer, Andy, hits the glock and says, "Okay, we're going to teach you how to do some balance exercises. With your horns at set, lift up your left leg in 4 beats, stick out with toes pointed in four beats, bring back in four, then set down in four. Repeat with the right leg. And remember, this isn't ballet people!" He hits the glock to a slow pace, making me shaky on my balance. _It can be a ton worse,_ I think to myself as I glance at my tenor sax friend, Leala. She has a leg issue because one leg is about, a half-inch shorter than the other? It really sucks for her since her orthodics, or "feet lifters", as I like to call them, were not remade yet. _Why is she so pretty, and not notice that I like her, even though I'm her best friend? _As the set ends, Camilla cones over and gives me a death glare. "Look right at me, freshman. I can be nice, but I can be a bitch when you don't do something right, you hear? Don't look at the other people when you're marching. Pretend the drum major is me. Got it?" I only nod ever so slightly as she stalks off. _Remember, she's nice Dan. She's physcing you out,_ I tell myself mentally as we do a new balance exercise.

_One hour later..._

"Wasn't that fun? Ow, ow ow. It hurts my butt just to sit! I hope fishing isn't as bad as everyone says it is," Leala comments sarcastically as she rubs her sore butt during lunch break. "I've alreadly been taught fishing, Lae-Lae, and trust me, it's fun, but it hurts like he...heck," Ed shoots back at her as he eats his sandwich ravenously, angry. "Oh, what the frick Ed? Why won't you even say the word 'hell' and cuss like a man? It's technically not a bad word anyway," I tell Ed off. He glares at me, and says, "Yeah, but I don't cuss for no real reason either, like some people I know."

"Are you talking about me?" I start shouting.

"Maybe."

"Don't make me mad at you Ed, 'cause I can hurt you."

"Want to try me?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, you won't. 'Cause I'm going to sit with the drumline people. Later, Leala," Ed steams, then stalks off towards the drumline group. "Coward!" I yell down the hallyway at him. *SMACK*

"Ouch, Leala, what was that for?" I say, rubbing the back of my head where she gib slapped me. "For being a dick at Edwin. He's mad because his crush isn't doing marching band, but cheerleading instead. Lighten up, Dante. Where's the guy that helped me out 3 months ago?" Leala explains, eyes giving a distant look at the wall. She still talks about, what almost happened to her back in March. So much darkness, so little hope for her. Who knew I was the one to save her?

*Beep* The intercom goes off: "Everyone outside please for a warm-up block, and then we're going to hand out drill sheets. Five minutes till block begins."

I stand up. "C'mon, Lae, let's go." I help her up and she smiles slightly. "What?" I ask. She gives a quick laugh and whispers to me, "Imagine where I'd be right now if you had not helped me. I'll never stop saying it Dan...thank you." She hugs me, a resist for an instant before I hug her back and walk with her to go march next to her in block.

_2:40 a.m., next day..._

"Dante, Dante! Danny! DAN!" I wake up shouting to hear my mom shaking me, calling my name. "You had a nightmare and your shouts woke me up. Go back to sleep Dante, you have band camp tomorrow," my mom explains. She brushes my bangs out of my eyes and goes back to bed. I put my hands behind my head, lie on my pillow, and try to recap what happened in my dream that suddenly turned into a nightmare.


End file.
